On November 17, at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, under the auspices of Eve Queler's Opera Orchestra of New York (OONY), beloved Italian-American soprano Aprile Millo celebrated the 25th anniversary of her OONY and Metropolitan Opera debuts-the former on November 10, 1984 in Gioachino Rossini's "Guglielmo Tell" at Lehman College, and the latter on December 3, 1984 in Giuseppe Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra"-not to mention the recent loss of 50 pounds, with a most unusual, eclectic song-and-opera recital, billed, somewhat inaccurately, as her first in her native city-Brooklyn College, on November 2, 1986, or Avery Fisher Hall, with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, on January 13, 1993, anyone?-involving a number of guests, dedications to significant individuals, and invocation of starry and historic names. It was truly an event, of diva worship and more.

Millo entered, in what looked more like an opera costume, of any of the various Leonoras, Elviras, or Amelias, say, complete with hoopskirt, than an evening gown, to a standing ovation, and warned, right off, not to expect a conventional recital, explaining, "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to" or, apparently, 'sing what I want to,' too. Lucy Arner, at the piano, was the sensitive assisting artist, spelled, for some selections, by Danielle Orlando.

Millo lent her full spinto sound, somewhat resembling that of her idol, Renata Tebaldi, and a clean classic style to Stefano Donaudy's melancholy, quasi-18th century "O del mio amato ben," Gaetano Donizetti's cheerful "Me voglio fa na'casa," and, with the assistance of Christopher Collins Lee-playing a violin that belonged to Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus' father-Domenico Cimarosa's "Entro quest'anima," from "Artemisia," beginning with a melody akin to "Non mi dir," from Mozart's "Don Giovanni." She dedicated "Buon dì, cara Venezia," a paean to the cherished city of Venice, from Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's "Il Campiello," to nonagenarian diva Licia Albanese, who was present.

Millo brought hearty, radiant tone to contrasting German lieder "Von ewigen Liebe," by Johannes Brahms, considering enduring love; "Ich habe in Penna," by Hugo Wolf, breezily enumerating lovers in various Italian cities; and "Zueignung," by Richard Strauss, expressing gratitude to a true love. Exploring other song repertory that one doesn't usually associate with her, the soprano offered emotional renditions of Jules Massenet's "Elégie" and Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Ne poy, krasavitsa, prim mne/Ty pesen' Gruzhi" (Do not sing for me, fair maiden, the sad songs of Georgia), assisted by Arner and cellist Lynn Harrell, the latter in tribute to her late mother and recently-discovered Russian maternal ancestors.

With Lee assisting, Millo sang, with warmth, of everlasting love in Angelo Mascheroni's "Eternamente." Probing more folksy, earthy music of Italy, but still in classical mode, the singer, accompanied solely by accordionist Mary-Lou Vetere, sang the anonymous "Villa Triste;" commedia dell'arte-derived "Colombetta," by Arturo Buzzo-Peccia; and, in memory of Luciano Pavarotti, "Core 'ngrato," of Cordiferro and Cardillo; "Torna a Surriento," of G.B. and Ernesto de Curtis; "Funiculi, Funicula," by Luigi Denza; and "'O sole mio!" by Capurro and di Capua, with which she invited the audience to sing along, an offer some took her up on.

If any further proof were needed that this was a most unusual evening, there were also dances, choreographed by Melanie LaPatin, to the intermezzo from Pietro Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana," with dancers Iveta and Gherman, and to music from Francesco Cilea's "Adriana Lecouvreur," with Russ and Katusha.

In keeping with the unusual tone of the evening, the printed program listed seven arias and four duets, with a note that "Mme. Millo will pick from among these" and, in the end, she undertook four operatic selections, with Arner at the keyboard for the solos and Orlando taking over for the duets. Millo expansively depicted life in pre-Gold Rush California and love between parents in "L'amore è un'altra cosa ... Laggiù nel Soledad," from Giacomo Puccini's "La Fanciulla del West," an opera she sang with OONY, with a triumphant high C at the end. "Udiste? ... Mira, di acerbe lagrime ... Vivrà! Contende il giubilo," the Act Four, Scene One duet from Verdi's "Il Trovatore," with baritone Luis Ledesma, brought out the bel canto Millo, well-remembered and loved, from the earliest days of her career, and if she skipped a few ascending figures near the end, she rewarded us with another ringing top C at the climax. After a breathtaking, wrenching "L'altra notte in fondo al mare," Margherita's mad scene, from Arrigo Boito's "Mefistofele," with fluent fioriture at the ends of the two verses, she and tenor Michael Fabiano bade each other a vehement farewell in "Ed ora ... io mi domando," the finale from Ruggiero Leoncavallo's "Zazà," a rarity she sang with Teatro Grattacielo.

After a touching "Oh, Danny Boy," accompanied by harpist Merynda Adams, Millo took her leave of us with two encores, a sweet song about a little girl promising to love a little boy only "when apples grow on the lilac tree" and "Musica Prohibita," an Enrico Caruso favorite. OONY Music Director Queler put a finishing touch on the evening, presenting a bouquet and a message from Franco Zeffirelli.

Opera Orchestra is eschewing complete opera-in-concert this season, but continues with recitals by tenor Bryan Hymel on December 1 at 6 p.m. and soprano Julianna DiGiacomo on February 4, 2010, at 6 p.m., both at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater, with tickets priced at $25, or $45 including artist reception, and by soprano Eglise Guttiérrez, on March 10 at 8 p.m. at Merkin Concert Hall, with tickets going for $50, or $75 including artist reception. Contact OONY at oony@tiac.net or 212/906-9137 or visit www.oony.org for further information.